Category: Academic

The Oklahoma Film + Music Office (OF+MO) is now accepting applications for the 2019 Summer Internship Program. OF+MO seeks to provide selected interns with an understanding of the film and music industries in a professional state agency setting by involving them in diverse projects throughout the summer.

The Oklahoma Film + Music Office is particularly interested in candidates with experience in or enthusiasm for film, music, publicrelations or marketing for specialized projects. Interns will be selected based on previous experience, professionalism and university level. Priority will be given to those in their junior or senior year. Previous office experience is a plus.

Position Details

Intern responsibilities will include researching and compiling film and music events throughout Oklahoma for our website and our monthly newsletter, Now Playing. Chosen candidates will gain valuable experience in the development of OF+MO’s Production Directory, Locations Directory and Music Directory by assisting in research and data input.

Interns will also support the office by locating and archiving press articles, conducting research, assisting with marketing inventory and/or other various special projects.

Interns may be given the opportunity to participate in locations scouting and set visits, experience special events sponsored by OF+MO and will be exposed to other divisions within tourism. Assistance with general office opening and closing duties is required and expected on a daily basis. Internships are not production-based.

All internships are unpaid and open to those seeking college credit toward graduation. It is the responsibility of the intern and the student’s advisor to track their hours and complete all enrollment and coursework requirements in accordance to their college or university.

This internship will last nine weeks, beginning the week of June 3. If interested, please submit a resume and cover letter to Jeanette Stanton at jeanette.stanton@travelok.com.

“Breathless” by Chloe-Beth Campbell, “Angels Lullaby” by Ashliann Rivera, “Abilities” by Dallas Parker (Faux Draco) and “Hollyhocks and Morning Glories” by Scott Aycock were recently selected from 74 entries as finalists in the second annual Jimmy LaFave Songwriting Contest.

Three of the four finalists are students at The Academy of Contemporary Music at the University of Central Oklahoma (ACM@UCO).

Finalists will play their songs before a live audience at an April 30 Gypsy Café pre-party hosted by the Red Dirt Rangers at Iron Monk Brewing, 519 S. Husband in Stillwater, according to the Tulsa World.

Campbell is an ACM@UCO student from Enid, and released her debut full-length album, Remnant, last year. Rivera is a singer-songwriter born in Brooklyn and raised in Oklahoma City. She has released three EPs in the last three years. Parker, who performs under the name Faux Draco, is a rapper from Oklahoma City.

Aycock is a longtime Tulsa singer/songwriter and poet who co-hosts NPR’s Folk Salad.

Congratulations!

At stake for the finalists is the chance to secure a spot in the lineup at Bob Childers’ Gypsy Café on May 1 and a $500 cash prize plus a $500 donation made in the winner’s name to the Red Dirt Relief Fund, according to a press release.

A $100 “People’s Choice” prize will also be awarded by a vote of those in attendance. This event is free and open to the public.

May 1: Parker Millsap

Oklahoma singer-songwriter Parker Millsap has quickly made a name for himself with his captivating live performances, soulful sound and character-driven songwriting. He performs a sold-out concert 7 p.m. May 1 at ACM@UCO Performance Lab, 329 E. Sheridan Ave., in Oklahoma City.

The events are part of the Academy of Contemporary Music at the University of Central Oklahoma’s continuing Metro Music Series celebrating the school’s 10th anniversary.

ACM@UCO’s Metro Music Series is sponsored by Oklahoma Gazette, Exchange Music, KOSU Radio, Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores, and the Oklahoma Arts Council, which receives support from the State of Oklahoma and the National Endowment for the Arts’ Art Works initiative.

After receiving her bachelor’s degree in Music Business with a Marketing minor in 2017, Saffa used skills she gained through real-world industry experience at ACM@UCO (including a marketing internship at Tulsa’s BOK Center arena) in her job as a digital marketing specialist and radio accounts manager at Oklahoma-based Tyler Media.

This role led Saffa to her current position with Spectra, an international venue management and hospitality company that serves the Budweiser Events Center in Loveland, Colorado.

As a marketing manager, Saffa directs strategies for the venue, as well as for touring musicians and entertainers, continuing to apply shat she learned studying Music Business at ACM@UCO. The unique downtown Oklahoma City campus is part of UCO’s College of Fine Arts and Design.

As many students today are dissuaded from pursuing their passion in arts-related fields, UCO’s College of Fine Arts and Design flips the script about “starving artists” and highlights the breadth of success our alumni have achieved as performers, producers, entrepreneurs, artistic directors, talent managers and more.

The Oklahoma Film + Music Office (OF+MO) is now accepting applications for the 2019 Spring Internship Program. OF+MO seeks to provide selected interns with an understanding of the film and music industries in a professional state agency setting by involving them in diverse projects throughout the spring semester.

OF+MO supports our state’s thriving film and music industries by administering the Oklahoma Film Enhancement Rebate Program and connecting filmmakers and musicians with jobs, local businesses and diverse locations. Located on Film Row in Oklahoma City, OF+MO is a division of the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department, which includes Oklahoma Today, Discover Oklahoma, Oklahoma State Parks and Travel.

We are particularly interested in candidates with experience in or enthusiasm for film, music, public relations or marketing for specialized projects. Interns will be selected based on previous experience, professionalism and university level. Priority will be given to those in their junior or senior year. Previous office experience is a plus.

Position details

Intern responsibilities will include researching and compiling film and music events throughout Oklahoma for our website and our monthly newsletter, Now Playing. Chosen candidates will gain valuable experience in the development of OF+MO’s Production Directory, Locations Directory and Music Directory by assisting in research and data input. Interns will also support the office by locating and archiving press articles, conducting research, assisting with marketing inventory and/or other various special projects. Interns may be given the opportunity to participate in locations scouting and set visits, experience special events sponsored by OF+MO and will be exposed to other divisions within tourism. Assistance with general office opening and closing duties is required and expected on a daily basis. Internships are not production-based.

All internships are unpaid and open to those seeking college credit toward graduation. It is the responsibility of the intern and the student’s advisor to track their hours and complete all enrollment and coursework requirements in accordance to their college or university.

This internship will last nine weeks, beginning the week of Feb. 4. If interested, please submit a resume and cover letter to Jeanette Stanton at jeanette.stanton@travelok.com. Deadline for submission is Friday, Jan. 11. Please include, “OF+MO Intern Application – Your Name” in the subject line of your email.

About the Oklahoma Film + Music Office

Created in 1979, The Oklahoma Film + Music Office strives to share all that Oklahoma has to offer by welcoming filmmakers and music professionals to the state and by creating a network of support to develop Oklahoma’s film and music industries. For more information about the Oklahoma Film Enhancement Rebate Program or the Oklahoma Film + Music Office please visit okfilmmusic.org.

Longtime Oklahoma musician JD McPherson hosted a masterclass Oct. 26, 2018, to a capacity audience at ACM@UCO Performance Lab in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The third-annual Music Networking and Mentoring Event was made possible by a partnership with The Academy of Contemporary Music at the University of Central Oklahoma’s Metro Music Series and the Oklahoma Film + Music Office.

About ACM@UCO Metro Music Series

The 2018-2019 school year marks ACM@UCO’s tenth anniversary. To celebrate, it expanded its long-running Metro Music Festival into a yearlong event. The revamped Metro Music Series includes the High Noon Showcase, presenting free shows by ACM@UCO-tied music acts and tastemakers; its ACM@UCO Performance Lab series by regional and national touring acts; and a growing roster of masterclasses, clinics and workshops with industry leaders, many of which are open to students and the public.

Love Seats is musical project created by Ashton Gary and Ethan Wilcox, based out of Oklahoma City. The indie-rock duo specializes in writing melancholic guitar pop songs with lush orchestration and recording them to tape.

After listening to bands like Ultimate Painting, Whitney and Andy Shauf, the duo wanted to create music in the likes of those artists. Gary and Wilcox bought an 8-track tape machine and started recording demos of their songs while dissecting and studying the production of their favorite records.

Eight months later, the group recorded its debut record, “These Days,” which was released in October.

About ACM@UCO Metro Music Series

The 2018-2019 school year marks ACM@UCO’s tenth anniversary. To celebrate, it expanded its long-running Metro Music Festival into a yearlong event. The revamped Metro Music Series includes the High Noon Showcase, presenting free shows by ACM@UCO-tied music acts and tastemakers; its ACM@UCO Performance Lab series by regional and national touring acts; and a growing roster of masterclasses, clinics and workshops with industry leaders, many of which are open to students and the public.

Academy of Contemporary Music at the University of Central Oklahoma (ACM@UCO) student Caleb Starr, a contemporary music performance major, recently created this promo video as a class project. We wanted to share it!

It also features his music as solo artist Leotie, which he recently performed live in front of a sold-out crowd at Mac DeMarco’s Nov. 14 concert at ACM@UCO Performance Lab in Bricktown.

Ahead of his Nov. 26 concert in Oklahoma City, longtime musician, actor and actor Steven Van Zandt joins Scott Booker, executive director of the Academy of Contemporary Music at the University of Central Oklahoma (ACM@UCO) for a Q&A-style interview and masterclass. The event is 2 p.m. Nov. 26 in ACM@UCO’s Songwriting Room (first floor), 25 S. Oklahoma Ave. in Bricktown.

The event is part of the Academy of Contemporary Music at the University of Central Oklahoma’s (ACM@UCO) continuing Metro Music Series celebrating the school’s 10th anniversary.

Steven Van Zandt / Photo courtesy Big Hassle Media

During the masterclass, Van Zandt will discuss his history past and current projects. ACM@UCO CEO and Executive Director Scott Booker will lead the discussion, which is free and open to the public.

Van Zandt’s accomplishments are many. He is a musician, performer, songwriter, arranger, music producer, music supervisor, TV producer, actor, director, Broadway producer, TV and film composer, live event producer, international DJ, activist, historian, teacher and member of the New Jersey and Rock and Roll halls of fame. He is also recognized internationally as one of the world’s foremost authorities on both contemporary and traditional rock ’n’ roll.

“I’m thrilled that Steven Van Zandt is joining ACM@UCO for this masterclass,” said ACM@UCO CEO and Executive Director Scott Booker. “His career spans decades, generations and even mediums — recording, touring, acting, filmmaking, philanthropy and activism. He also embodies our school’s mission to educate and encourage entrepreneurial vitality throughout the music business.

“I expect this to be an extremely informative and entertaining masterclass,” Booker continued. “If I had it my way, we’d convince him to stay and he’d be here every day.”

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band album “Born in the U.S.A.”

After helping create the “Jersey Shore” sound with the band Asbury Jukes, he became a founding member of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band (and co-produced seminal Springsteen/E Street Band albums “The River” and “Born in the U.S.A.”). He has gone on to become a successful solo artist in his own right, recording and performing solo with his band Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul.

Last year, Van Zandt released “Soulfire,” his first new album in more than 15 years — returning to his rhythm and blues roots. Rolling Stone magazine named the project one of its “Best Albums of 2017.” In April, he released a three-disc CD box set, “Soulfire Live!,” with a 7-inch vinyl box set and two-disc Blu-Ray to be released this fall.

A longtime activist, Van Zandt has twice been honored by the United Nations for his political activism, including the “Sun City” project and film, and his involvement in “International Peace Day” along with Peter Gabriel. He also established the Solidarity Foundation to promote the sovereignty of indigenous peoples and to foster economic development in harmony with the earth.

Steven Van Zandt / Photo courtesy Heidi Gutman

Many also recognize him from his seven-season co-starring role on the “Sopranos,” as well as his work starring in, cowriting, executive producing and supervising the music for “Lilyhammer,” the first original programming to stream on Netflix.

In 2001, he launched “Little Steven’s Underground Garage,” his internationally syndicated radio show, often called the most successful syndicated rock music radio show in the past 40 years. He also created and produces the first two channels of original content on SiriusXM Satellite Radio, the Underground Garage (Channel 21) and Outlaw Country (Channel 60).

Little Steven and the Disciples of Tour are back on the road this fall with their Soulfire Teacher Solidarity Tour. The landmark live tour benefits The Rock and Roll Forever Foundation’s TeachRock program and has reached the incredible goal of registering over 10,000 teachers (and counting) to use the TeachRock music history curriculum. Founded by Van Zandt, the foundation creates education materials using the history of popular music to create engaging, multicultural lesson plans for history, social studies, language arts, music and science classrooms, all of which are available to educators at no cost.

He joins the ACM@UCO masterclass before his scheduled 8 p.m. Nov. 26 concert at Tower Theatre in Oklahoma City. Learn more about tickets and that show at towertheatreokc.com.

ACM@UCO’s Metro Music Series is sponsored by Oklahoma Gazette, Exchange Music, KOSU Radio, ArtWorks, the National Endowment for the Arts and the Oklahoma Arts Council.

Check in with ACM@UCO at facebook.com/acm.uco and acm-uco.eventbrite.com as we announce additional Metro Music Series shows, events and surprises through the year.

About ACM@UCO Metro Music Series

The 2018-2019 school year marks ACM@UCO’s tenth anniversary. To celebrate, it expanded its long-running Metro Music Festival into a yearlong event. The revamped Metro Music Series includes the High Noon Showcase, presenting free shows by ACM@UCO-tied music acts and tastemakers; its ACM@UCO Performance Lab series by regional and national touring acts; and a growing roster of masterclasses, clinics and workshops with industry leaders, many of which are open to students and the public.

Stay tuned to the Performance Lab at facebook.com/acmucoperformancelab and ACM@UCO @acmuco for updates and announcements about even more concerts and events!

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